10/01/2015
Gr 6 Up—Dunn's brisk-paced debut dystopian novel begins with Callie and her friends anxiously awaiting their 17th birthday, on which they will receive a memory from the future. This important vision will affect their lives, their careers, and all aspects of their destiny. Callie's day finally arrives, and she finds out that her future self will one day stab her clairvoyant little sister. Horrified at seeing herself kill the person she's closest to, Callie turns to Logan, a friend from long ago, who helps her escape. Trying to avoid a future in which she's imprisoned for her whole life by a government organization, Callie follows Logan to a community in the woods where others like her live to keep their tragic visions from happening. Feelings between the two spark. Callie must decide if she is in charge of her fate or if her fate is in charge of her. The premise is a good one, and those who enjoyed Lauren Oliver's "Delirium" trilogy (HarperCollins) will be fans of this tale. Dunn includes likable characters, the obligatory evil leaders, and an oppressive government. There is a twist ending that will catch most readers off-guard, which will thrill some and frustrate others. A few loose ends and an epilogue leave the story open to a possible sequel. VERDICT Recommended for avid dystopian fans.—Jane Hebert, Glenside Public Library District, Glendale Heights, IL
In the pages of this week’s most exciting new releases, you’ll find dirigibles, dystopias, a hotel with no checkout time, a web of teens scarred by sex trafficking, and a girl on a mission to find her courage. These are the books we’re bringing into winter hibernation with us right now.
Life is hard, and the books we love reflect that, from Katniss confronting a Capitol that seems just a little too familiar to Harry Potter feeling every inch an orphan when he faces returning to the Dursleys each summer. So what keeps us from drowning in the injustice, the loneliness, the feeling of never making progress? […]